Starving the tank

[+C Lo Slice]

So as many of you may already know, I've been having one hell of a time battling some aiptasia in the tank. Aiptasia-X works for about a week, then it all comes back worse than before. I added a peppermint shrimp from RCA last week and he's extremely shy. I understand they are nocturnal critters, but this guy is pretty ridiculous. He hasn't gone anywhere near the aiptasia, and it is now getting larger by the day and has already begun to spread to another rock on the opposite side of the tank. I picked up two more peppermints from Aquatek on Monday. They were twice the size of my other one and were extremely active in the tank. My pair of clowns even seemed happier with them in the tank. However, they lasted for about 45 minutes or so and then they were dead. I acclimated them the same way I've acclimated everything else, and immediately did a water test upon their death. Ammonia and nitrites were both at 0, nitrates at 5, SG at 1.022 (slightly low, I know), pH at 8.3, and temp is 79.

I went back to Aquatek yesterday after speaking to Craig, with the departed and a sample of my water. Of course my water didn't check out while I was there. Nitrites were slightly high (NEVER been above 0, not even during my cycle) and SG was reading 1.019 (I'm so ready to get a refractometer). My clowns have been fed twice a day since I got them three weeks ago (they weren't in the best of shape when I bought them), generally eating pellets in the morning with mysis about 5 times a week in the evening. They're very healthy now with excellent color. Obviously, though, this was a bit overkill with my tank housing only the clown pair, peppermint shrimp, and about 20 hermits, 50 cerith snails, and 15 nerites.

It was then explained to me that I should try "starving" the tank, feeding the clowns half portions and only about 3-4 times a week TOTAL. The logic seems to make sense, in that the peppermint shrimp would be out of his mind to start battling aiptasia when he can successfully rely on two feedings a day from his over-eager owner.

Does this jibe with everyone? I know feeding twice a day is a bit much with only two fish (and it may also be part of the explanation for the nitrites) but 3-4 times a week seems like too little. But what the heck do I know? I'm still new to this. I just don't want my happy, healthy clowns to revert back to their unhealthy state, or worse, end up dead (my wife would be devastated). I just wanted to check with you guys before I start holding back the nutrition.

[wa1tx]

I have about the same bioload on my bc29 and I usually feed every other day. Have you tried anything else on the aptasia? I use a syringe and white vinegar and it gets rid of them the first treatment.

[JamesL]

My fish would be ecstatic to be be fed 3-4 times a week! At the rate I am going, it is normally 1-2 times a week. And all look fine. My tangs keep any algae in check, and my sixline/damsels/skunk clown forage on pods.

So I don't think you will have any issues with cutting back your feeding. And Aquatek is right, if the shrimp are getting too many left overs, they will ignore the past anemones.

[+C Lo Slice]

Haha oh geez. I hues that would explain why my fat little fish quit chasing their food and started waiting for the filter's return to push the food towards them. Man... twice a day compared to twice a week. Guess these guys are going to start hating me here soon

[Mindflux]

When I started a FW tank I was told every other day was a good place to start as far as feeding went. Sounds like that can apply here too.

[+etannert]

On the shrimp deaths - inverts are more sensitive to water changes than fish, so you should acclimate them for longer/more carefully. Insufficient acclimation is the likely cause of their deaths, especially if you're using a hydrometer instead of a refractometer.

From everything I've read peps are very hit or miss when it comes to aiptasia. The ones from the Gulf coast seem, anecdotally, to do a better job with it than store-bought specimens. Personally I've had good luck with Aiptasia-X, though it does sometimes take more than one application if I don't get enough on there the first time.

How much mysis are you feeding at a time? I have 5 fish and usually a block will last me 2-3 days.

[Mike M.]

I think your best bet is to remove the rock that is most infected with the aptasia, use Aptasia X, boiling freshwater, or one of the many other creative ways to mechanically kill aptiasia, reduce bioload on the tank and figure it will take 6-12 weeks to get in control. That's the sort of approach I have used in the past with Velonia and Aptasia.

[BBMarlin]

I would only add that by starving your peppermints they might turn to your coral. This happened to me and I was forced to remove the peppermints. I feed 3X a day in small amounts and I am able to keep P04 and N03 very close to 0. I feed pellets (ELOS) 2X using an automated feeder (EHIEM) and Rods in the evenings.

[jestep]

I feed 2x per week. Clowns are pretty good at picking out any stray pods so they probably get fed more than you would think in an established tank.

The nitrites would be very concerning to me. Based on the way the nitrogen cycle works there should never be measurable nitrites unless the tank is cycling. Definitely keep a close eye on the tank params just to rule out something major going on.

If you can I would probably try spot treating the nems with a syringe or removing the rocks as suggested above.

[+C Lo Slice]

etannert - As far as acclimation goes, I floated the bag for about a half hour, then added little bit of tank water to the bag about every 10 minutes for about and hour. I know drip acclimation would be more preferable, but it just slipped my mind at the time, for some reason. When I feed mysis, its usually about a third of a cube. I've used aiptasia-x three times now and it seems like its only getting worse.

Mike - I've been holding out hope that I can get the aiptasia under control. Removing the rock and drying it out is my last ditch effort, and that is rapidly approaching. The infected rock is covered in coraline, and its my only rock that has it, so I'm trying everything I can to save it.

BBMarlin - no corals are in the tank yet, but thanks for the heads up. Good to know for future reference.

[+C Lo Slice]

Jestep - what's concerning to me is that I've never registered nitrites on my tests before. I ran my own tests again last night, just to make sure things weren't getting any worse, and I again read my nitrites to be 0. The colors on these tests can be hard to differentiate sometimes, but the nitrite colors are the easiest to tell apart; I highly doubt I'm reading it wrong. I'm definitely keeping a closer eye on things than usual, and I'm going to try the syringe with vinegar method when I get home from work.

[+C Lo Slice]

Oops, I meant tests, not testament on my previous post. Stupid T9 predictive text...

[JamesL]

Fixed your post for ya

[wa1tx]

What I do with syringe/vinegar is "sneak" up on aptasia and try to inject it before it retracts into rock.

[+C Lo Slice]

Why thank you, Mr James.

[+C Lo Slice]

wa1tx - you know, I've actually never really had a problem with it reacting into the rock. They always seem eager to take in the aiptasia-x. Probably because, judging on their quick growth and spreading after a treatment, they're getting tons of nutrients from it, haha.

[+etannert]

Are you serious? When I use it they usually curl up and retreat, as if in agony, as soon as they get hit with the stuff. I usually leave the pumps of for about 15-30 mins and then suck the remainder of the stuff out with a turkey baster before turning the pumps on.

[+C Lo Slice]

Well, yeah, it will curl up and retreat in agony, but it welcomes the stuff as if it thinks its about to be fed. But in 5-7 days, when it starts coming back, they practically double in population and grow quicker. I've tried to abstain from treating again, which is why I've felt somewhat of an urgency in trying the shrimp, because I've got TONS of hermits and snails covering that rock now, and I didn't know if the aiptasia-x would have an ill effect on them.

[Inland Reef]

Hi C Lo.

At one time I had a big problem with Aptasia. Mostly exasperated by me being lazy and not killing it right away, so they spread like wild fire.

I tried the peppermint shrimp route. I got 6 of them and they never really seemed interested in eating the aptasia.

In my experience, the aptasia can out wait and out last the starving method more so than any livestock you wish to keep.

The only thing I found that effectively killed aptasia was directly injecting them with kalkwasser (pickling lime) via a syringe. I hit a couple of them per day while leaving all the pumps on to distribute any loose solution. The solution itself was easy and non specific. I just mixed the kalk (lime) powder with a lil bit of rodi or salt water until it was a milky liquid, not paste.

When I used this method, I didn't have any problems with anything but the aptasia dying. Each piece of aptasia would be cooked after one small dose.

As with any "internet advice" please take this with a grain of salt, and simply add it to your arsenal of knowledge. Do your research, evaluate the advice you get, do some experimenting and figure out what works best for you and your tank.

I hope this helped a little bit.

Good luck, I know aptasia can be a serious PITA.

-Jason

[+C Lo Slice]

Thanks for the advice, Jason. I remember reading about the kalkwasser method when I first noticed aiptasia, but tried other things first. I had forgotten about it, but I'm going to give it a shot. Seems like the vast majority of people who go that route have great results. Thanks!

- Caleb

[Inland Reef]

I pretty much did the same thing. I tried the least invasive methods first, but eventually ended up with the kalkwasser after everything else failed. Some people have luck with the other methods, but I didn't.

My only additional advice would be to go slow with it. Mix some solution up, hit a few pieces of aptasia and observe the results (other livestock and your water parameters).

I wouldn't be too concerned with the kalkwasser effecting the water if you use it in small doses and spread the dosing out. Plenty of people use it as a supplement for their hard corals. I would be more concerned with killing a bunch of the aptasia and the dead organic material changing the water parameters.

When I was battling the aptasia scourge, I killed 2 or 4 pieces in the late evening, just before the lights turned off. I did this about 3 times a week. With that schedule, in a 55gal, I didn't have any issues.

Good luck.

[Teresa]

I tried everything and it all failed until . . . .

:D the berghia nudi :D

My aiptasia has consistently decreased in number. I even caught a berghia eating one the other night. I tried to take a picture or video - but since it was when all the lights were off, you can't see anything. It was cool to watch though! I am planning to collect two when most of my aiptasia in this tank are gone and move them to another tank. Once I'm done with them, I'm willing to pass them on to the next reefer.

They are super cute and effective

[+C Lo Slice]

Well Teresa, I would love to give them a try when you no longer have use for them. I hit them with Aiptasia-X again last night and, after getting rid of about 10 or 15, I gave up. I was planning on throwing in the towel and drying out the rock, but I'll give the berghia a shot. There's no doubt in my mind that the ones I "killed" last night will be back on about 5 days or so. How big are the berghia?

[Teresa]

The nudi are tiny about 1/2 cm x 3 cm. It might be a bit before I am ready to hand them over - I still have a ton of aiptasia. You can search the internet if you don't want to wait and find several websites that sell them. Shipping is expensive though.

[+C Lo Slice]

No hurry. I'm able to keep the aiptasia in check for the most part; it just gets annoying and repetitive, as I'm sure you know. But I'll check out some of the sites, and will possibly go that route. Thanks for your advice, Teresa!

- Caleb